Lee vows to seek closer ties with Russia

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said in an interview with Russian media published Friday that the South Korean government will further widen its relationship with Russia in all economic, diplomatic and cultural fields on the occasion of his upcoming trip to Moscow.

Lee wants Russia to play a bigger role in promoting peace in Northeast Asia, as
well as in salvaging the shaky six-nation talks on disabling North Korea's
nuclear weapons program, according to Itar-Tass, which interviewed the South
Korean president in early September together with the Izvestia newspaper and
Russian TV.
Lee also noted that the envisioned rail link between South Korea and Russia via
North Korea for its eventual connection with Europe would provide an opportunity
for the three countries to form an integrated economic bloc.
Lee is scheduled to leave for Russia on Sunday for a four-day official visit.
During Lee's summit with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, slated for Monday in
Moscow, the two will discuss concrete measures to promote bilateral cooperation
across the board.
Lee and Medvedev already met on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in
Japan in early July and agreed to push ahead with efforts to link the
trans-Korean railway, or TKR, with Russia's trans-Siberian railway, known as the
TSR.
"South Korea wants to develop bilateral relations with Russia not only in the
economic field, but also in terms of culture, history and Northeast Asian peace.
I also wish for Russia to pay particular attention to peace in Northeast Asia,"
Lee said in the interview.
Lee also voiced hope that Russia and the two Koreas will open discussions on
three-way economic cooperation projects in Siberia.
"The development of East Siberia would be beneficial to Russia's economic growth.
Korea is closely located to East Siberia. Russia's tripartite economic
cooperation with South and North Korea will be beneficial to all three parties,"
said the president.
Meanwhile, South Korea and Russia are planning to seal a total of 13 MOUs calling
for closer cooperation in energy, resources, investment, industrial technology
and information technology during Lee's Russian visit, according to Seoul's
presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.
"Lee and Medvedev will produce as many as 13 memorandums of understanding to
promote a strategic partnership relationship between their countries," said a
Cheong Wa Dae official.
"The proposed MOUs will cover joint exploration of petroleum, uranium and other
natural resources, construction of Korea-only industrial complex near Moscow and
exchanges between science and technology institutions of both sides," said the
official.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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